Lahiri wants to be a repeat hero #HeroIndianOpen

Delhi, March 16: Indian star Anirban Lahiri believes he has the winning formula to produce a repeat victory at the US$1.66 million Hero Indian Open which gets underway on Thursday.Lahiri, the reigning Asian Tour number one, will defend his title without a driver when he tees up at the Delhi Golf Club, a venue which is known for its super-tight fairways.The popular Indian will headline the event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour alongside three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland, Peter Uihlein of the United States, who has three top-10 results in his last three events, and current Order of Merit leader Marcus Fraser of Australia. Peter Uihlein of the USAAn in-form Scott Hend of Australia, who won in Thailand last week, Filipino rising star Miguel Tabuena, India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia, a four-time runner-up at the Indian Open and Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, the 2013 Hero Indian Open winner, will also feature in the event.After claiming a popular victory at the Hero Indian Open last year, Lahiri will stick to the same routine at the tricky course.“Over the years if you have a strategy at Delhi Golf Club, you don’t mess with it. It is hard enough playing here so you stick with it. I won’t reinvent a new strategy because my plan works. I just need to execute it better and more efficiently,” said the 28-year-old.“This is one of the events where you want to keep coming back and defending over your lifetime. It is a good feeling to have and you know that it can be done. The whole exercise is to put yourself in the position again come Sunday,” added Lahiri.Ranked 52nd in the world, Lahiri has laid out his plans for 2016 and a victory this week will give him an extra boost in confidence to achieve his goals.“The target will be to win on the PGA Tour, be in contention in the Majors and World Golf Championships (WGC). Obviously the Olympics as well. The targets remain the same. You push yourself until you reach a level where you target the Majors, WGCs and Olympics.“I’m certainly hopeful of being a contender at the Olympic Games. I have been playing well and I can compete at that level. Do I have medal hopes? Yes I do. I definitely think I can contend and hopefully get a medal for India,” said Lahiri.Talented Filipino Tabuena, ranked second on the Order of Merit, aims to follow in the footsteps of Lahiri, who won the Hero Indian Open last year before becoming the Asian Tour’s number one golfer. Miguel Tabuena of the Phillipines“It is not a stressful week knowing you have secured your card for next year. The main goal this year is to play in the Olympics and contend for the number one spot on the Asian Tour. I’ve put myself in a good position to do that,” said the 20-year-old Tabuena.Despite finishing second on four occasions at the Indian Open, Chawrasia, a three-time Asian Tour winner, remains confident of his chances to win his National Open.“Honestly, I don’t remember the bad things. I try to remember only the good things and take away the positives from my past experiences over here. So when I start playing tomorrow, I will remember those good things.“This is a short course, and I am not a very long hitter. So, on this course if you chip and putt well and land the ball straight then you get good results. I try to play safe over here,” said Chawrasia, who was part of Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup earlier this year.With two top-five results and one top-10 finish in his last three events, Uihlein, a former amateur world number one, hopes to continue his fine form in his debut appearance at the Hero Indian Open.“It is always good when you have three top-10s. The confidence is there and I hope to continue riding the momentum hopefully I have another good week,” said Uihlein, a one-time European Tour winner.“Mentally I feel better. I don’t let emotions dictate the decisions I don’t want to make. That cures a lot of problems and I’ve been holing a lot of 15 and 20 footers so these two aspects have really helped me,” he added.Ends.About Hero MotorCorp LtdFor 15 consecutive years, Hero MotoCorp has remained the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer in terms of unit volumes sold in a calendar year by a single company. The company sold over 6.63 million two-wheelers in the financial year 2014-15. The New Delhi, India-headquartered Hero MotoCorp currently sells its range of motorcycles and scooters in 26 countries spread across Asia, Africa and South and Central America. By the year 2020, Hero aims to be present in 50 countries.For over two decades, Hero has been associated with various disciplines of sports including golf, cricket, football and hockey. In the biggest-ever celebrity brand endorsement initiative by an Indian company, Hero MotoCorp in 2014 signed on 14 times Major champion Tiger Woods as its Global Corporate Partner. Top Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri is also a Hero Brand Ambassador.Hero has been sponsoring the men?s Indian Open since 2005 and the Women?s Indian Open since 2010. Hero also sponsors India?s domestic Pro Tour for women. Hero last year became the title sponsor of the Tiger Woods Invitational - the PGA-sanctioned Hero World Challenge.About the Asian TourAs the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), FENIX XCell (Official Apparel Supplier), Fuji Xerox (Official Office Solutions Partner), Hilton Worldwide (Official Hotel Partner), Titleist (Official Web Partner) and Rolex (Official Timekeeper). Sentosa, Singapore is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur. Also, visit us at www.asiantour.com, www.facebook.com/asiantourgolf , www.twitter.com/asiantourgolf , www.youtube.com/theasiantour and www.weibo.com/asiantourgolf.About European TourThe European Tour is committed to celebrating the game of golf from the origins of the professional game, building a proud history of achievement, sportsmanship and integrity as well as showcasing our diverse global talent and rich landscapes. The European Tour's innovative approach enables us to embrace the world, combining championships of tradition with new tournaments in the cities and countries of the future. The European Tour International Schedule, which from 2009 has incorporated The Race to Dubai, is a thriving global brand which, in 2015, will feature a minimum of 47 tournaments spread across five continents; the European Challenge Tour focuses on the up and coming players of the future; while the European Senior Tour provides a new start for champions celebrating their 50th birthday. The European Tour?s corporate identity features the iconic silhouette image of six-time Open Champion Harry Vardon who gives his name to The Harry Vardon Trophy, presented to the player who is crowned European Tour Number One and winner of The Race to Dubai at the end of the season.

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